Reviewing and improving blog posts: GridPoint

I came across GridPoint on my LinkedIn feed. This was my first time seeing the company’s name, and since they cover topics I write about (energy efficiency), I thought I should check them out.

Note: GridPoint is NOT a client, nor am I pitching them. But hey, if they ever need a copy editor or content writer, and decide to reach out, I’m not going to ignore them.

GridPoint has a resource section, which is where they publish blog posts, case studies, white papers, savings calculator, and more. They have a lot of great content on helping businesses to save energy, which is quite useful given current energy costs.

I read one of their more recent blog posts, How much energy does a restaurant use. It explores the different types of energy used in restaurants, how to reduce energy consumption, and the benefits of doing so.  

What I liked about the blog

• The title is clear and focuses on a topic that would interest a specific audience. 

• It includes statistics from the National Restaurant Association, which is of value to the target reader.

However, according to the National Restaurant Association, energy costs typically account for 3-6% of a restaurant’s total expenses.  

• The blog post provides a simple formula for calculating a restaurant’s energy costs, and uses an example to illustrate its use.

For example, if a refrigerator uses 1.5 kW of power and is used for 12 hours per day with an efficiency rating of 80%, the energy consumption would be calculated as follows:  

Energy Consumption = 1.5 kW x 12 hours x 0.80 = 14.4 kWh  

• The blog includes links back to the website, which are worded to intrigue the reader.

Learn more about how GridPoint’s energy management system can save you up to 30% on energy bills.  

How I would improve the blog

• The blog uses numbers (1) for bullets. I’m not sure if this is a mistake or a choice, but it’s confusing when every bullet is a 1. Change these to bullets or consecutive numbers.

1. Upgrade Cooking Equipment: Investing in energy-efficient cooking equipment …
2. Install LED Lighting: Replacing traditional light bulbs …
3. Install an Energy Management System (EMS): EMSs are designed to …

• Add a question mark after the first heading, as it’s a question rather than a statement. I’d also have a copy editor or proofreader review the content.

How Much Energy Does a Restaurant Use?

• Conclude with a call to action. The blog post has a couple of links within the content. But it would be more effective to move one of the CTAs, or add a CTA related to restaurants, at the end of the blog post. You should always end with a CTA.

Get a free restaurant assessment from a GridPoint energy expert.  

What do you think of my review? Let me know – contact@davidgargaro.com.

David

Reviewing and improving blog posts: Kongsberg PCS

I came across Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems through one of my connection’s LinkedIn posts. I did not know anything about the company, so I decided to check out their website to learn more.

Note: Kongsberg is NOT a client, nor am I pitching them. But hey, if they notice me and reach out to write for them, I won’t ignore the opportunity.

Kongsberg has a healthy resource section, which includes blog posts, customer stories, e-books, webinars, and more. They have a lot of useful information for potential and existing clients interested in learning more about their cutting solutions, as well as how to get the most out of their equipment.

I read one of their more recent blog posts, 3 tips on how to achieve the perfect crease. In a nutshell, it provides tips on improving the quality of machine cutting projects.

What I liked about the blog

• The title is clear and focuses on a topic that would interest their audience.

• The blog provides real value that would help users to get better results with their equipment. The writing is also tight with no fluff.

• The image shows three types of crease wheels, which helps the reader to see and understand what the blog post is describing.

• The blog concludes with a link to the crease wheels section of the website. This should interest the reader and help the company to increase sales.

How I would improve the blog

• The introduction is too short – it needs more content to expand the topic and draw in the reader. For example, it could include a couple of examples of machine cutting projects that involve crease wheels.

Achieving the perfect crease can greatly enhance the quality of your machine cutting projects (e.g., cutting corrugated cardboard, folding cardboard and paper). 

• Change the numbered points to headings. This would help to break up the content and further emphasize the three key points.

1. Choose the correct wheel size

Selecting the appropriate wheel size is crucial for optimal results. For thinner materials like folding carton, a smaller wheel size, such as 15mm is best. For thicker materials, larger wheel sizes like 60mm or 150mm are more suitable. Utilizing the right wheel size ensures a clean and precise crease. 

2. Choose the profile of the wheel according to the thickness of the material

The profile of the wheel is also related to the thickness of the material. Thinner materials require finer profiles, in this way the pressure is concentrated in a smaller area and the lines are more defined. On the contrary, thicker materials benefit from wider profiles since they make a wider channel that helps bend the material. 

3. Vary parameters across and along the flute direction

To achieve the perfect crease, it’s essential to adjust the parameters according to the flute direction. Since the material offers less resistance in flute direction, use lower values to avoid excessive deformation of the material. Instead, apply more pressure across the flute to ensure a well-defined crease.

• Pull out / emphasize the section on “dry and easily cracking material.” This is a valuable point that gets lost in the text.

Issues with dry and easily cracking material?

Consider the following solution: make more than one pass with the cutting machine. This causes the material to be creased gradually and reduces the likelihood of cracking, resulting in a break-free fold. 

• Strengthen or change the call to action. Rather than linking to the crease wheels section at the end of the blog post, link to this section at the beginning of the blog post (providing an internal link), and conclude with a more powerful CTA.

Contact your sales rep for more information on crease wheels, request a quote, or schedule a demo for your organization.

What do you think of my tips? Let me know – contact@davidgargaro.com.

David

The key ingredients needed to make great content

Vegetables and other food. Photo by Ella Olsson on Pexels.com

There’s a lot of good content out there. But how do you make good content great?

You need three key ingredients:

1. Quality
2. Uniqueness
3. Authority

Quality

Great content is like great cooking. You need to begin with quality ingredients. The main ingredient in great content is quality writing.

Great content demands high-quality writing. Your writing should be strong, tight, and impactful.

Every great chef knows the basics of cooking a good meal. They know how to use their tools and how everything works together.

Great writers know and employ the fundamentals of their craft – grammar, spelling, consistency, style, tone, etc. They know how to use phrases, start and end sentences, appeal to logic and emotion, and choose the right word.

Quality also applies to presentation. Chefs know how to present their food. Quality in writing means presenting your content in the most appealing way.

White space is a powerful tool in quality writing. So are headings, bullets and numbers, graphics, and fonts. They all work together to improve the quality of your content.

Quality writing begins with a strong headline. It requires a deft hand to pack punch into a small amount of real estate. Your writing will not be read if your headline is not strong enough to pull the reader in.

Uniqueness

Quality writing stands out. It’s different from the rest of the content. It does not blend in with everything else.

There are many ways to be unique. If you are writing about a topic that has been written about a lot, then write it differently. Find a new angle. Take a different approach. Put your voice or spin into your writing to make it your own.

Writing about a complex topic? Then find a way to make it easier to understand. Make your explanation better. Include new and interesting ways to present and explain the topic.

Don’t take a different tact just to be different. Be different with value. Make the content more valuable with your unique approach. The goal is to give the reader something they want or need.

Authority

Anyone can write an article or blog post online. So don’t just be anyone. Back up your words with authority.

You might not be the expert in this field. But someone is. Speak to or interview that person. Get the information that only they have. Include their quotes in your content.

Experts know what generalists do not. They have practical and valuable knowledge and experience. Ask the right questions to get access to that valuable information. Then share it in your content.

Don’t just be a writer. Be a journalist. Dig for the answers that are hard to find. Ask questions to find the answers. Don’t begin with the answer, as it will skew your research. Go in with an open mind.

Become the authority in a niche or industry. Read the journals, attend the events, join the associations, follow the trends, etc. Then write what only you can write.

Collect your own data. Share your unique insights. Gather stories from experts.

David

How to use emotional triggers in emails, blog posts, and articles

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

When writing emails, blog posts or articles, you typically want the reader to do something once they are done reading. This involves including a call to action at some point. So, how do you increase the likelihood of the reader following through on that call to action?

One way is to include an emotional trigger – a statement that speaks to the reader and gets them to react in a certain way. You have to know something about your audience to ensure that you select the right trigger. That comes from knowing your business, your client’s business, and what motivates them to act in your favour.

Try one of these four types of emotional triggers to get a response from your reader.

Gain

State what the reader will gain from following through on the call to action. Explain the benefits of purchasing your product or service. Make a promise or guarantee that the reader will improve their situation. The promise can be direct or implied.

Logic

Give a practical reason, backed by emotional reasons, for following through on the call to action. Provide a clear reason or benefit, backed by statistics, facts, opinion, results, case studies, etc.

Fear

Offer peace of mind to the reader that you can protect them against the occurrence of some type of event. This involves instilling fear (of failure, of lost income, of lost sales, etc.) that will promote the reader toward a course of action.

Scarcity

Tell the reader that the offer is for a limited time, or until the product is no longer available due to limited quantities. The reader must respond to the call to action or lose out on what is being offered.

 

Do you need help with writing your next email, blog post or article? Let me know – contact@davidgargaro.com.

David Gargaro

Think about your audience before writing that article or blog post

Photo by Keegan Everitt on Pexels.com

Your audience is composed of individuals who have a wide range of interests and knowledge. However, for the purpose of your writing, you can place them into two basic categories:

• Specialists (e.g., CEOs, industry professionals) who have a deep (or technical) understanding of your topic, as well as the language
• Generalists (e.g., end users, general public) with a wide range of knowledge and experience, but not a deep understanding of the topic or language

Both groups should be interested in the main subject of your writing. But they will have different goals when reading your writing.

• Specialists do not need a lot of basic information or an introduction to the topic. They might prefer a high-level technical description, supporting facts and arguments, and a higher level discussion of the subject matter.
• Generalists want the background information, clear explanations of features and benefits, and definitions or descriptions of technical language or specific terms. They want to understand the subject and how it appeals to them.

Establishing your audience will guide the tone and attitude of your writing. Your writing must respect your audience’s level of knowledge and experience. You can develop appropriate examples and case studies that will speak to that audience. Avoid writing for both audiences at the same time (where possible) as you will not be able to meet both groups’ needs.

Ask the right questions to define your audience

To help evaluate your audience, answer the following questions:

• What does the audience know about the topic?
• What is the audience’s attitude toward the topic?
• Does the audience have interest in the topic, and why or why not?
• Why is the audience reading about this topic?
• What level of supporting information does the audience need to accept your position on the topic?

Knowing your audience will help to guide your writing and speak to them more effectively. If you can focus it even more to specific groups within the large group, so much the better. Understand and respect your audience in your writing, and you will achieve a greater response from your audience.

Need help with writing for your audience? Let me know – contact@davidgargaro.com.

David Gargaro